The titanium reserves in China, which account for over 35% of the world's titanium reserves, are the largest in the world. Moreover, over 90% of the Chinese titanium reserves are located in Panzhihua. However, the percentage of titanium utilization is currently less than 5%. Titanium is basically used in the production of titanium dioxide powder and rarely applied in environmental field.
In recent years, titanium dioxide as a semiconductor material with lots of advantages, such as excellent photocatalytic activity, anti-corrosion, stabilization of chemical properties, innocuity etc. has been studied in the filed of photocatalytic technique for waste water treatment, air purification and so on. By the forecasts of authority institutions in Japan, Korea and Occident, the photocatalytic technique still has tremendous market potential. Therefore, the development of high-active titanium dioxide photocatalytic material not only meets the market requirements, but also promotes deep processing and comprehensive utilization of titanium resource in China.
At present, the main raw materials for producing titanium dioxide anatase hydrosol include inorganic titanium source and organic titanium source. Wherein, organic titanium sources include mainly tetrabutyl titanate, isopropyl titanate, ethyl titanate, methyl titanate and titanium alkoxides, etc. while inorganic titanium sources include mainly titanium tetrachloride, titanium sulfate etc. In the patent application No. 200410077615.0, methods for producing anatase hydrosol having high-activity under visible light by using inorganic titanium source, such as titanium tetrachloride, titanium oxysulfate and titanium sulfate etc. were disclosed respectively. However, such organic and inorganic titanium raw materials are the chemical products obtained by second or even third processing of the titanium ores at a higher price.